How to Give Back Correct Change
Make sure the change you give and the price of the product together add up to the cash the customer gave you., Add up the amount the customer gives you., Count up from the amount of the purchased item to the other amount paid., Count out loud to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make sure the change you give and the price of the product together add up to the cash the customer gave you.
You want the customer to leave with the same value they gave you, only now part of that value will be the product, and the rest change.It’s that simple.
For example:
If they gave you $20 to buy a $5 book, they will leave with $5 worth of book plus $15 worth of change, for a total value of $20. -
Step 2: Add up the amount the customer gives you.
Before you can make change, you'll need to know how much money you've been given.
As you count the money, place it on the register or table in front of you both.
When you are done counting, state the amount paid.
This will ensure that there is no confusion or disagreement about how much the customer gave you. , For example, if they are purchasing a sandwich that costs $7.59, and they gave you $20, you would start at $7.59 and give them money, counting up until you reached $20. , You don’t need to count out every single coin, but it is important to at least call out the running total whenever you reach the end of a particular unit such as pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters.
With bills mistakes are more costly, so it’s a good idea to keep a running count.
For example, if you were given $10 for a $6 product, you would either:
Count the one dollar bills and then give the total: “One, two, three, and four makes ten.” Or add up as you go: “Seven, eight, nine, and ten.” , Do pennies first, then nickels, dimes, and quarters before handing out paper money.
When you give back change the other way around, it's awkward and your customer is more likely to drop the change as they are already holding the paper money.
If your customers drop your money when you pass it to them, this is probably why.
In our initial example, you are starting with $7.59 (the price of the sandwich), so you would hand back: 1 penny (“that’s $7.60”) 1 nickel (“7.65”) 1 dime (“7.75”) 1 quarter (“8.00”) While this is the most efficient combination of coins, it doesn’t really matter how you add up to $8.00, so long as you get there. , Once you reach an even dollar amount, start counting out bills until you have added up to the amount they gave you.
Returning to our example:
You have added up to $8.00 and need to continue to $20.00, so now you would hand back: 2 one dollar bills (“9, 10”) 1 ten dollar bill (“and 10 more makes 20”) , You gave the customer .01 + .05 + .10 + .25 = .41 cents in change.
You then gave her 1 + 1 + 10 = $12 in cash, for a total of $12.41 in change. $7.59 + $12.41 = $20 – the amount the customer paid. -
Step 3: Count up from the amount of the purchased item to the other amount paid.
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Step 4: Count out loud to avoid confusion.
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Step 5: Start with coins.
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Step 6: Hand back paper money next.
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Step 7: Check your work.
Detailed Guide
You want the customer to leave with the same value they gave you, only now part of that value will be the product, and the rest change.It’s that simple.
For example:
If they gave you $20 to buy a $5 book, they will leave with $5 worth of book plus $15 worth of change, for a total value of $20.
Before you can make change, you'll need to know how much money you've been given.
As you count the money, place it on the register or table in front of you both.
When you are done counting, state the amount paid.
This will ensure that there is no confusion or disagreement about how much the customer gave you. , For example, if they are purchasing a sandwich that costs $7.59, and they gave you $20, you would start at $7.59 and give them money, counting up until you reached $20. , You don’t need to count out every single coin, but it is important to at least call out the running total whenever you reach the end of a particular unit such as pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters.
With bills mistakes are more costly, so it’s a good idea to keep a running count.
For example, if you were given $10 for a $6 product, you would either:
Count the one dollar bills and then give the total: “One, two, three, and four makes ten.” Or add up as you go: “Seven, eight, nine, and ten.” , Do pennies first, then nickels, dimes, and quarters before handing out paper money.
When you give back change the other way around, it's awkward and your customer is more likely to drop the change as they are already holding the paper money.
If your customers drop your money when you pass it to them, this is probably why.
In our initial example, you are starting with $7.59 (the price of the sandwich), so you would hand back: 1 penny (“that’s $7.60”) 1 nickel (“7.65”) 1 dime (“7.75”) 1 quarter (“8.00”) While this is the most efficient combination of coins, it doesn’t really matter how you add up to $8.00, so long as you get there. , Once you reach an even dollar amount, start counting out bills until you have added up to the amount they gave you.
Returning to our example:
You have added up to $8.00 and need to continue to $20.00, so now you would hand back: 2 one dollar bills (“9, 10”) 1 ten dollar bill (“and 10 more makes 20”) , You gave the customer .01 + .05 + .10 + .25 = .41 cents in change.
You then gave her 1 + 1 + 10 = $12 in cash, for a total of $12.41 in change. $7.59 + $12.41 = $20 – the amount the customer paid.
About the Author
Robert Morris
Committed to making organization accessible and understandable for everyone.
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